Floating device.



No. 808,910. PATENTED NOV. 7,1905. 7 L. LEDERMANN.

FLOATING DEVICE APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1904.

ZJZZnesses UNITED STATES LEO LEDERMANN, OF BRESLAU, GERMANY.

FLOATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1905.

Application filed July 20, 1904:- Serial No. 217,404.

To all whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I, Lno LEDERMANN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Breslau, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floating Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention has reference to improvements in floating devices, and relates more specifically to a device for holding human bodies afloat for the purpose of learning or teaching to swim or for saving life; and the object of the invention is to provide a floating means for the purposes indicated which will least interfere with the swimming move ments of the wearer and which will prevent the floating body from turning turtle.

In order to make the invention more readily understood, I have illustrated it on the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 of which shows the device in use, and Fig. 2 of which represents a bottom view of same.

The floating device belongs to that class of contrivances which sustain a body heavier in itself than the water by enhancing its volume by the addition of a hollow air-tight body for the purpose of thereby reducing the specific weight of the load to be sustained.

The device forming the object of the present invention consists of an air-tight hollow body, preferably of light metal, which is composed of the front wall a, the rear wall Z2, the narrow bottom wall 0, the broad top wall 6, and the side walls 0Z d. The bottom wall 0 is slightly curved so as to conform to the shape of the human back. The side walls d d are outwardly curved and are connected by the vaulted top wall 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The side, top, and bottom walls converge toward the rear, so that the area of the rear wall I) is smaller than that of the front wall a. The widening of the device toward the top, in conjunction with the concave form of the side walls, serves to prevent the floating body from turning turtle about its longitudinal axis, owing to the increasing resistance the walls offer to the water. To the concave side walls (Z cl are secured straps or belts f and g for attaching the device to the body, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The device obviously can also be used as life-saving buoy, in which case the person in danger of drowning can hold himself above Water by grasping the straps or the device itself. 7

In order to prevent the apparatus from running full of water in'case of a leak or other damage, it may be divided by means of partition-walls It and z'into a plurality of noncommunicating air-tight compartments, of which one or more may be conveniently used for storing food, medicaments, or the like, doors in and Z giving ready access thereto, as shown in Fig. 2.

For the purpose of standing upright in the water and moving forward in this position (treading water) two such apparatus are to be used, one strapped to the back and the other to the front.

What I claim is A floating device comprising two ends, one thereof being smaller than the other, a conveX top, a concave bottom of less width than said top, two concave side members connecting said top and bottom, said top, bottom and sides being connected to said ends, straps connected to said sides, partitions forming compartments within said device, and means of access to said device.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEO LEDERMANN.

Witnesses:

THEoDoRv DOURK, ERNST KATZ. 

